WJPA Sports

WPIAL Championship Week got off to a rough start for Fort Cherry baseball. The Rangers committed five infield errors on the way to an 11-2 loss to Neshannock in the Class 2A Final at EQT Park.  All told, the Lancers were gifted seven extra outs and cruised to their 7th WPIAL baseball title.  Chartiers-Houston softball lost to Laurel in the Class 2A Third-Place game, sending the Bucs into the PIAA tournament as the League’s 4th place team, putting them in the top half of the state bracket.

Wednesday, the League opens the WPIAL Softball Championships with three games set for PennWest-California’s Lilley Field, including the 2A Bentworth vs. Neshannock game at 11:45 am on WJPA-AM (1450). Later Wednesday afternoon, Jeff-Morgan takes on West Greene  for the final 1A softball state berth. Bentworth, Carmichaels, Chartiers-Houston and Fort Cherry have already clinched PIAA berths. The state tournaments are set to begin June 1.

WPIAL Baseball Brackets 
Tuesday, May 26
1A Final Eden Christian > Greensburg Central Catholic, 5-1
1A Third Place Serra Catholic > Western Beaver, 5-0
2A Final Neshannock > Fort Cherry, 11-2  Listen Here
2A Third Place Riverview > South Side Beaver, 12-2 (6) (only Riverview qualifies for PIAA)
4A Final Indiana > Elizabeth-Forward, 4-0
4A Third Place Hopewell > Derry Area, 3-0 (only Hopewell qualifies)

Wednesday, May 27
1:00 pm 3A Final South Park vs. Ellwood City
2:00 pm 5A Third Place Montour vs. Thomas Jefferson
4:00 pm 6A Final Butler vs. North Allegheny
5:00 pm 3A Third Place Avonworth vs. Riverside
7:00 pm 5A Final Upper St. Clair vs. South Fayette

WPIAL Softball Brackets
Tuesday, May 26
3A Third Place Ellwood City > Keystone Oaks, 5-1 (only Ellwood City qualifies)
5A Third Place Baldwin > Thomas Jefferson, 3-1
2A Third Place Laurel > Chartiers-Houston, 6-5
4A Third Place Hampton vs. North Catholic at North Allegheny (winner only qualifies)

Wednesday, May 27
11:45 am 2A Final Bentworth vs. Neshannock, WJPA-AM (1450) Watch/Listen Here
2:15 pm 5A Final Shaler vs. North Hills
4:00 pm 1A Third Place Jeff-Morgan vs. West Greene at Pleasant Valley (winner only qualifies)
4:30 pm 6A Final Hempfield vs. Seneca Valley

Thursday, May 28
12:00 n 1A Final Union vs. Carmichaels
2:15 pm 3A Final South Park vs. Mt. Pleasant
4:30 pm 4A Final Elizabeth-Forward vs. Blackhawk

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Esmerlyn Valdez hit a two-run home run to cap a five-run first inning and the Pittsburgh Pirates routed the skidding Cubs 12-1 to extend Chicago’s losing streak to 10 games. The Cubs are just the second team in major league history to have two 10-game winning streaks and one 10-game losing streak in the same season, joining the 2017 Los Angeles Dodgers, according to Elias Sports Bureau. Braxton Ashcraft (4-3) allowed one run on seven hits in 6 1/3 innings. Spencer Horwitz also homered for the Pirates. Alex Bregman and Carson Kelly had two hits each for Chicago.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Evgeni Malkin is staying in Pittsburgh. The Penguins have re-signed the franchise icon to a one-year, $5.5 million deal. Malkin, who turns 40 in August, was due to become a free agent on July 1 but had expressed repeatedly a desire to stay. General Manager Kyle Dubas had been noncommittal but confirmed the team’s interest in keeping Malkin, though he said recently the club would “love” to have him back. The signing means Malkin, Sidney Crosby, and Kris Letang will continue their historic partnership. All three are now under contract for a record 21st season together.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Mark Stone and Cole Smith scored for Vegas and the Golden Knights suffocated Colorado’s high-powered offense to beat the Avalanche 2-1 on Tuesday night and for an unthinkable sweep to make their third Stanley Cup Final in nine seasons. The Golden Knights will get a break while they watch to see whether Carolina or Montreal emerge from the Eastern Conference Final. This is a crushing end for an Avalanche team that won the Presidents’ Trophy and had blown through the playoffs with an 8-1 record. Chicago in 2013 was the last team to claim the Presidents’ Trophy and the Stanley Cup in the same season.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 32 points, Alex Caruso led another strong bench effort with 22 and the Oklahoma City Thunder moved one win away from a return trip to the NBA Finals by beating the San Antonio Spurs 127-114 on Tuesday night. Jared McCain — getting the call with Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell both sidelined — scored 20 in his first playoff start for the Thunder, who now lead the Western Conference finals 3-2. Stephon Castle scored 24 points for San Antonio, which got 22 points from Julian Champagnie and 20 points from Victor Wembanyama — who was held to 4 of 15 shooting.